5. Politics: The Ravenstahl administration will experience a serious corruption scandal in 2010. Much of the city will yawn, and the Republican and progressive Democratic Party constituencies that have been trying to unseat the Democratic machine for years will gaze at their navels, still too disorganized to capitalize on their good fortune. Harrisburg will not bail out the city.

Well, um, no to the first, and yes (or no, if you prefer) to the second. Much as some wholeheartedly wished it, and others expected it, the Ravenstahl administration did not find itself caught up in a corruption scandal. I try not to get too tangled up in politics myself, at least online, so I won't comment further; I had a "Politics" category in the first place only because it seemed odd not to. As for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's state government hasn't bailed out anyone or anything. 2011 may be the year that this finally happens, though bailout is not such a good word; "takeover" will become the word . The players in the pension crisis keep lurching along, hoping and perhaps expecting that someone else will ride to the rescue. The Port Authority is on the precipice of collapse. The Pirates are staring into the chasm of another losing season.

Did someone say "Renaissance 3"?

I'm one for two in this category.

I'll take a couple of days off; holiday weekends are no times for this sort of thing. Enjoy Christmas, or your Festivus hangover!